Vestas closed the UK's only wind turbine blade factories, on the Isle of Wight, in August 2009. Workers occupied the factory, then picketed. This blog is a history of that dispute and of the ongoing campaign for green jobs.

Camp for Climate Action this week: why working class people should get involved

The Camp for Climate Action (aka Climate Camp) will pitch its tents somewhere near the City of London this week, Wednesday 26 August-Wednesday 2 September. Hundreds, maybe thousands of people will learn new skills – practical and political – to show how the global ecological crisis is rooted in the economic system.

The Vestas campaign has been so successful partly because it has brought together two sets of campaigners that don’t always agree – trade unions and environmentalists.

It has been easy for them to agree that the green jobs at the Vestas wind turbine factory on the Isle of Wight need saving. Now the discussions that are starting in the trade unions about what sort of jobs we need – jobs in sustainable industries – and in the environmental movement about what sort of environmental activism we need – activism that has social justice at its heart – must develop and continue.

Climate Camp is a big opportunity to develop that. Several Vestas workers are going to the camp, and some of the activists who have been helping their campaign on the Isle of Wight are running workshops there.

Read a lot more detail on the Climate Camp website. The Climate Camp is for everyone – if you’ve ever wondered what happens there, go and find out for yourself this year! You don’t have to go for the whole week, but can go for a day or a few days only.

Categories

What we're fighting for

Vestas Blades UK made production workers at their factories on the Isle of Wight redundant on 12 August 2009. More than 500 jobs were lost. Many more jobs that depend on Vestas will follow. This makes no sense from a green or a labour perspective!

At the same time, the government announced a major expansion of renewable energy including wind power. We are calling on the government to intervene to save jobs at companies like Vestas - through nationalisation if that is what it takes - to show that it is serious about saving the planet.

Actions & meetings

Wednesday 17 February

NEWPORT, ISLE OF WIGHT 7pm, Save Our Services public meeting, called by Unison, but open to all who want to campaign against the proposed cuts to council and all jobs and services. Venue: Hunnyhill Room, The Riverside Centre, The Quay, Newport, Isle of Wight.